Suffolk Residents To Pay Fines, Expenses For False Alarms

SUFFOLK — If the security-alarm system at your Suffolk home or business has earned a reputation for unreliability, you might want to have it checked - soon.

Suffolk officials have adopted one of the most stringent false-alarm ordinances in the area, and those who don't take it seriously face steep fines.

The new law, which requires all alarm systems to be registered with the city by Jan. 30, is aimed at cutting the rising cost of emergency services responding to false alarms.

``Alarm systems are good as long as they are maintained, but it's pretty expensive to run fire equipment up and down the road to answer a false alarm,'' said Lt. Jeff Messinger of the Suffolk Fire Department. Messinger recalled one instance during which Suffolk fire crews responded to six false-alarm calls at the same location within 24 hours.

Sending an engine company, a ladder company and a battalion chief to a call costs the department more than $150, not counting a $10.50-an-hour per-person cost. Add a squad truck, a salvage truck and a brush truck and the price tag goes up to $300, according to fire officials.

Under the new policy, police and fire officials will give a warning the first time they respond to a false alarm this year.

But the second trip - unless the alarm is set off by severe weather or some other act of nature - will be at the expense of the alarm owner.

The idea is to encourage people with alarms to be more responsible in having their systems maintained, said Officer Mike Simpkins of the Suffolk police.

``The biggest problem is with repetition,'' Simpkins said.

``It's not unusual for us to respond to the same house or the same business a couple times a week because of a bad alarm system.''

Police will assess a $25 fine for the second false-alarm call within 180 days and a $100 fine for the each subsequent false alarm in 180 days.

In the event of a fifth false alarm within the period, the owner of the system will have to have it inspected by a registered alarm company.

Fire officials will base their service charges on which fire equipment, vehicles and personnel were used on the call, Messinger said.

Fees will be assessed according to the time the units were in service, he said.

For example, the cost of sending an engine company is $60, plus $10.50 per hour per person. Response by a ladder company will cost $65, and a squad truck, rescue and salvage truck or brush truck will be billed at $50, plus personnel costs.

Fire and police officials will assess the fines and turn them over to the city's finance department, which will issue the bills, Simpkins said.

Suffolk spokeswoman Dana Brown said the city looked at several false-alarm ordinances from all over the country before devising its own plan.

Anyone who owns an alarm system in Suffolk has to file an alarm-system user registration form with the city no later than Jan. 30, Brown said.

Alarm-system companies that conduct business in Suffolk must have a $30 permit from the police and fire departments.

AREA POLICIES

False-alarm policies in some Hampton Roads localities:

* Newport News: A $100 fine if more than three false alarms are reported at the same location during a 90-day period.

* Hampton: No policy on false alarms and no fees assessed for false alarms.

* York County: A $100 fine if more than three false alarms are reported at the same location during a 90-day period.

* Suffolk: After one warning, the Fire Department will assess false-alarm fines, depending on what kind of equipment responded to the call. The fines could be as much as several hundred dollars. For alarms to police, fines are $25 for the second call and $100 for each subsequent false-alarm call. A fifth false alarm within 180 days will require an inspection from a registered alarm company.